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No. 615,557. Patented Dec. 6. I898. n. s. mwm. nsmwsn.

(Application filed Feb. 14, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

ROBERT S. IRWIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

HEMMER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 615,557, dated December6, 18 98.

Application filed February 14,1898. Serial No. 670,166. (No model.)

To all whom it raw/y concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT S. IRWIN, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at New York, (Brooklyn,) in the county of Kings andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHemmers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactspecification.

My invention relates to hemmers for use either alone or in connectionwith sewing-machines, and is particularly applicable for use in thehemming of handkerchiefs.

The object of the invention is to construct a hemmer which can readilybe appliedto any type of machine, will make the folds in a uniformmanner and hold them in shape until caught by the machine-needle, and atthe same time shall be capable of immediate and easy adjustment to foldhems of Various widths.

The invention will be more particularly described with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a hemmerembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is adetail perspective view of the adjustable folder; Fig. 4:, a sectionaldetail view of the clamp for holding the tongue-pieces in position, andFigs. 5 and 6 are respectively plan views of tongue-pieces of difierentwidths.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, A represents theusual platefound in most sewing-machines adjacent to the needle.

13 is the hemmer-arm, to be more particularly described hereinafter,provided with suitable means for being attached to the plate A ordirectly to the body of the sewing-machine if such plate does not existthereon. In this instance such means are shown as comprising twotransverse slots 0 0, adapted to surround, respectively, two set-screwsD D in the plate A, and a flat clamping-bar E, between the set-screwsand the arm. The arm D is suitably shaped, preferably by bending thesame at H, to have a slotted portion J extending in a direction at rightangles to the line in which the work is to travel. At

the outer end of arm B is an extension K, carrying a folder K, in linewith the direction of the work, and a clamping-piece T, having a screw Sprojecting through the extension, the clamping-piece being adapted to beclamped against the same or againsta tonguepiece between theclamping-piece and the extension by a thumb-nut Q on the screw S. Atongue-piece U, of suitable width and shape to form the desired hem, isadapted to be clamped by clamp T to the extension K and extends in thedirection in which the work isto feed to the needle, one edge of thetonguepiece projecting into the folder K. A second turner L, having astud 0, adapted to slide in the slotted portion J, and a projection P,sliding against the outer side of the bar, whereby the turner is kept inline parallel with the tongue-piece, is adapted to move back and forthon said bar toward and away from said tongue-piece and by means of asetscrew M and thumb-nut N may be clamped in suitable position. By thisarrangement any width of tongue-piece may be accommodated, and when thetongue-piece is in position the adjustable turner may be moved up to itsposition, embracing the free end of the tongue-piece.

It is desirable that after the cloth has been turned to form the properfolds it should be held in this position and be kept at a tension untilit is finally caught by the needle of the machine. 'I therefore cut awaythe end of the tongue-piece adjacent to the needle to form a cut-awayportion V, adapted to receive the presser-foot of the sewing-machine,leaving a projection 42, which extends to a point directly adjacent toand preferably in front of the needle to support the work to the needle,and preferably, also, leaving a wider pro jection 1;, extending to apoint opposite the needle to keep the work at proper tension while beingcaught by the needle orimmediately prior thereto.

In the operationv of the device a tongue piece of suitable width isselected and clamped to the extension K and the adjustable folder Lmoved up to surround the free edge of the tongue-piece. The work is thenfolded around the tongue-piece in the usual manner and pushed toward theneedle. When caught by the needle of a sewing-machine, the machine willautomatically draw the work along to continue the hem thus started.

The machine above described will be found particularly adaptable for usein hemming handkerchiefs; but it will of course be understood that I donot limit its use to any particular line of work, nor do I wish to beunderstood as limiting my invention to the precise construction hereindescribed and illustrated, as it is obvious that the device abovedescribed is capable of modification and alteration Without departingfrom the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I declare that What I claim, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a sewing-machine, of a hemmer carried therebyand comprising a tongue-piece extending toward the sewingmachine needleand having a portion of its end cut away forming projections to receivethe presser-foot of the sewing-machine, and the said projections uponsaid end being adapted to support the Work to a point immediatelyadjacent to the needle, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a sewing-machine, of a hemmer carried therebyand comprising a tongue-piece extending toward the sewingmachine needleand having its end cut away forming projections adapted to receive thepresser-foot of the sewing-machine, one of said projections beingadapted to support the work to a point immediately adjacent to theneedle, and the other of said projections being adapted to support thework and hold it at a tension to apoint substantially opposite theneedle, substantially as described.

3. In a herntner, the combination of a slotted arm carrying at itsextremity a folder, and a clamp, a tongue-piece adapted to be clamped atits side by said clamp, a second folder movable on said arm and having aprojection sliding in said slot adapted to steady the motion of saidfolder, and means for clamping said last-named folder to said arm, saidfolders being adapted to receive the respective edges of saidtongue-piece and to be separated from each other whereby an open spacewill be left above and below the tonguepiece between the respectivefolders, substantially as described.

4. In a hemmer, the combination of an arm carrying at its extremityafolder and a clamp, a tongue-piece adapted to be clamped by said clamp,and an adjustable folder carried by said arm said folders being adaptedto receive the respective edges of said tongue piece, and said tongue-piece having its end cut away to receive the presser-foot of asewing-machine and projections on said end, one of said projectionsleading to a point immediately in front of the needle of the machine andthe other to a point substantially opposite said needle, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT S. IRWIN.

\Vitnesses:

O. V. EDWARDS, Geo. W. Hnss.

